Norwich Catholic Cathedral: Roof re-leading (project 1 of 1 funded) Awarded £179,900 in March 2015 and a further £10,000 in May 2016

The need The application was for replacement of the failing lead on the roof of the nave and north aisle. This was the last remaining area of lead replacement needed under the most recent Quinquennial Inspection: lead replacement elsewhere had been carried out piecemeal over the last 35 years.

Outcomes All the original lead roofing of the cathedral, some 130 years old, has now been renewed, ensuring that the entire cathedral is watertight and reducing the risk of water damage. The works have also improved the accessibility of the cathedral. Norwich Catholic Cathedral. Photo credit: David Ross.

Economic impact The project support 15 full-time jobs including trainee apprentices in stonemasonry and carpentry. These trainees were brought in via a local scheme which meant that new skills within these traditional building methods were developed and retained in the local community.

Works completed The works were commissioned via a competitive tender process and were carried out by Anglia Lead Ltd. The works included replacing the lead roofs of the tower, south nave and south aisle. Over 40 tons of sand-cast lead was used to carry out these vital works. The fund’s Expert Panel allocated a further £10,000 from underspend elsewhere towards c. £40,000 of additional repair needs that emerged as the work progressed.

The Cathedral Norwich is the second largest Catholic cathedral in England, after Westminster. It was constructed between 1882 and 1910 to designs by George Gilbert Scott Jr. as a parish church dedicated to John the Baptist, on the site of the Norwich City Gaol. The funds for its construction were provided by Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, as a gift to the Catholics of Norwich as a sign of thanksgiving for his first marriage to Lady Flora Abney-Hastings. In 1976, it was consecrated as the cathedral church for the newly erected Diocese of East Anglia and the seat of the Bishop of East Anglia. The Narthex, a modern development including a café, shop, garden and function rooms, opened in 2010 as the cathedral’s ‘front door’, providing a welcome to all.

Working on the roof. Photo credit: Norwich Catholic Cathedral.